Numerical simulation of the magnetic pressure in tube

electromagnetic bulging
Li Chunfeng
*
, Zhao Zhiheng, Li Jianhui, Wang Yongzhi,
Yang Yuying
School of Material Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, PR China
Received 27 February 2001
Abstract
Electromagnetic forming is a kind of high energy rate forming; in which magnetic pressure analysis is the foundation of theoretical
analysis. Usually equivalent methods are used to resolve any problems, but because of the limitations of the calculation methods, only the
average force which acts on the workpiece can be obtained. Especially, the tolerances at the end of the workpiece are higher, which results
in great difculties in the deformation analysis of the workpiece. This paper carries out a numerical simulation of the magnetic pressure
acting on the workpiece during electromagnetic bulge forming by use of the FEA software ANSYS. The boundary conditions of the
analysis model are established on the basis of theoretical analysis of the magnetic eld properties. Through measuring the magnetic
induction intensity between the coil and the workpiece, the simulative results are proven to be accurate. This is the rst time that the
magnetic pressure distribution in the thickness direction of the workpiece has been explored through FEM. #2002 Published by Elsevier
Science B.V.
Keywords: Electromagnetic forming; Magnetic pressure; Numerical simulation; Magnetic eld property
1. Introduction
The theoretical analysis of electromagnetic forming
includes two parts: magnetic pressure analysis and work-
piece deformation analysis with the action of impact force.
So far, usually equivalent methods have been used to resolve
the magnetic pressure acting on the workpiece [1], but only
the average magnetic pressure which acts on the workpiece
can be obtained, and the stress of any location in the
workpiece cannot be obtained by calculation; especially
the tolerances at the end of the workpiece are greater [2].
Lately, there have been some reports on resolving the
magnetic pressure by the nite element method [2,3].
This paper carries out the numerical simulation of mag-
netic pressure using ANSYS in electromagnetic bulging and
obtains the dimensions and distribution of the magnetic
pressure acting on the workpiece; whilst at the same time,
the effects of technological parameters (electrical resistivity,
workpiece length, discharge frequency) on the magnetic
pressure are analyzed. Through measuring the magnetic
induction intensity within the gap between the coil and
the workpiece, the simulation results are conrmed.
2. Electromagnetic field properties of the
solenoid coil
The solenoid coil used in tube electromagnetic bulging is
an axisymmetric coil. For the solenoid coil, according to its
symmetric characteristic, only one-fourth of the eld region
is needed in analysis. When carrying out the ANSYS nite
element simulation, the boundary conditions of the symme-
tric axis and the symmetric plane are needed. The magnetic
theoretical analysis of the solenoid coil is the foundation of
the nite element simulation of magnetic pressure, and it is
also an important basis to ensure the nite element models
boundary conditions during electromagnetic bulging.
2.1. Vector magnetic potential properties
on the symmetric axis of the bulging coil
For the axisymmetric coil, the helicity of every convolu-
tion can be ignored, and the axisymmetric coil regarded as
the superposition of annular coils. The annular coil indicates
the single-turn circular circuit, and the distribution is line
current. The annular coils geometry is simple, so it is easy
to analyze it and to calculate its magnetic eld. Suppose
the annular coils radius is a, the current is I, and both of
these are shown in polar coordinates. The annular plane is
Journal of Materials Processing Technology 123 (2002) 225228
*
Corresponding author.
E-mail address: lchfeng@hope.hit.edu.cn (L. Chunfeng).
0924-0136/02/$ see front matter # 2002 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.
PII: S0 9 2 4 - 0 1 3 6 ( 0 2 ) 0 0 0 6 3 - 8
perpendicular to the z-axis, and the center of the annular lies
in the point 0; 0; h. At any point Pr; j; z, the vector
magnetic potential of the magnetic eld induced by the
annular coil has only a circumferential component [4], and
its value is
~
Ar; j; z
m
0
Ia
p

ra
2
z h
2
_
_
p=2
0
2sin
2
a1

1k
2
sin
2
a
p da~e
j
(1)
in which m
0
4p 10
7
(constant),
k

4ra=r a
2
z h
2

_
.
When point P is located in the symmetric axis, r 0, and
Eq. (1) can be written as
~
A0; j; z 0 (2)
The magnetic eld meets the superposition principle, and
the axisymmetric coil is equivalent to the superposition of
many annular coils, so the vector magnetic potential
~
A 0,
which is located in the symmetric axis of the bulging coil.
2.2. The magnetic induction intensity properties on
the symmetric plane of the bulging coil
The solenoid coil, of which the radius is a, the number of
turns is n, and the current of every convolution is I, is shown
in polar coordinates. The symmetric axis is the z-axis, and
the axial coordinate of the coils upper end edge is Z
2
, whilst
the axial coordinate of the lower end edge is Z
1
. According
to the BiotSavart law, the magnetic induction intensity at
any point Pr; j; z has three components: B
r
, B
j
, B
z
, there
into, B
r
, B
j
are [4]
B
r
r; j; z
m
0
nI
2p

a
r
_
f k
2
f k
1
(3)
where
k
2

4ra
r a
2
z z
2

;
k
1

4ra
r a
2
z z
1

;
f k
2
k
k
_ _
Kk
2
k
Ek;
Kk
p
2
1

1
n1
2n 1!
2n!
_ _
2
k
2n
_ _
;
Ek
p
2
1

1
n1
2n 1!
2n!
_ _
2
k
2n
2n 1
_ _
;
B
j
r; j; z 0 (4)
If the coordinate system is built in the center of the solenoid,
namely Z
1
Z
2
, then on the symmetric plane of the solenoid
coil z 0, B
r
r; j; z 0, so that considering Eq. (4);
the magnetic induction intensity on the symmetric plane
only has a B
z
component, and B
r
and B
j
are zero, viz. the
magnetic induction intensity on the symmetric plane is
normal to the symmetric plane.
3. The numerical simulation of the magnetic pressure
of electromagnetic bulging
The structure of the electromagnetic bulging solenoid coil
is shown in Fig. 1, the dimensions of the coil being shown
in Table 1, and the workpiece parameters are in shown in
Table 2.
3.1. The model and boundary conditions of FEA in
electromagnetic bulging
ANSYS is used to resolve the magnetic eld in electro-
magnetic bulging and to obtain the size and distribution of
the magnetic pressure. The following limits in the analysis
are assumed:
(1) the coil current is distributed equally in its cross-
section and is equal to setting value;
(2) the magnetic conductivity and electric conductivity are
invariable and isotropic;
(3) the displacement current is ignored.
Fig. 1. Structure diagram of the solenoid coil used for electromagnetic
bulging: 1, wire; 2, insulated support; 3, line-to-line insulation.
Table 1
Coil structure parameters
Coil label d
1
(mm) d
2
(mm) h (mm) p (mm) b (mm) Turns (N)
C1 67.4 57.2 120 6.3 4.6 19
Table 2
Workpiece parameters
a
Material d (mm) t (mm) l (mm) r (O m) m
Al 75 2 120 2:7 10
8
1
a
d: inner diameter; t: wall thickness; l: length; r: electrical resistivity;
m: relative permeability.
226 L. Chunfeng et al. / Journal of Materials Processing Technology 123 (2002) 225228
The FEA model of bulging is shown in Fig. 2, where A
1
is
the coil, A
2
the workpiece and A
3
the air far-eld model. The
FEA mesh division of the magnetic eld is shown in Fig. 3,
where the eight-node quadrangle element is adopted, the
total number of subdivision nodes is 1621, and the element
number is 527.
If the workpiece is treated as a single-turn solenoid coil,
according to the principle of superposition, the magnetic
eld in electromagnetic bulging can be regarded as the
superposition of magnetic eld inducted by two solenoid
coils (the discharge coil, and the workpiece). Because the
coil and the workpiece are coaxial and symmetric, according
to previous analysis of the solenoid coils magnetic eld
properties, the boundary conditions and excitation can be
established as follows:
(1) in the Cartesian coordinate system, B (the magnetic
induction intensity) is normal to y 0;
(2) in the Cartesian coordinate system,
~
A (the vector
magnetic potential) is equal to zero at x 0;
(3) in the polar coordinate system, an infinite mark is built
at r 12h;
(4) the coil current density is 93 kA, and the frequency is
10 kHz (the measured value).
3.2. Analysis of the results of magnetic field simulation
The stress diagram of the workpiece obtained from simu-
lation is shown in Fig. 4, where the ends of the workpiece are
subjected to both radially outwards expansive force and
axially downwards pressure; whilst the other parts are
subjected to only radially outwards expansive force. This
type of distribution of the magnetic pressure can be
explained by the magnetic lines distribution from the
simulation. A diagram of the magnetic lines during bulging
is shown in Fig. 5. The magnetic lines owing from the inner
parts of the coil mostly are forced into the narrow slit
between the coil and the workpiece, except at the end of
the workpiece, and include only the axial component, so the
workpiece is subjected only to radially outwards expansive
force; whilst at the ends of the workpiece, the magnetic lines
are emanative, and comprise both the axial component and
the radial component, which results in the ends of the
workpiece being subjected to both the radially outwards
expansive force and the axially downwards pressure.
Because of the existence of this axially downwards pressure,
the tube blank is in the constrained state at the two ends
during electromagnetic bulging, which is different from the
normal free-bulging technology: it is more useful to the
workpiece deformation.
Fig. 2. Sketch of the electromagnetic bulging system model.
Fig. 3. Mesh subdivision diagram of the electromagnetic bulging system
model.
Fig. 4. Stress diagram in electromagnetic bulging.
Fig. 5. Magnetic lines diagram in electromagnetic bulging.
L. Chunfeng et al. / Journal of Materials Processing Technology 123 (2002) 225228 227
The magnetic pressure distribution in the center of the
workpiece in the thickness direction is shown in Fig. 6. Its is
obvious that the whole workpiece is subjected to radially
outwards expansive magnetic pressure during electromag-
netic bulging, and that this is induced by the permeation of
the magnetic eld. This kind of distribution of stress is also a
characteristic in which electromagnetic bulging differs from
other bulging technologies; in the common bulging technol-
ogy, only the inner surface of the workpiece is subjected
to the external force. It can be seen from Fig. 6 that all the
four layers subdivided in the direction of workpiece thick-
ness have the outwards expansive magnetic pressure, and
that the closer to the coil, the greater the force. Further, this
force weakens very quickly from the inside to the outside
(the weakening is induced by the Kelvin effect).
In order to validate the simulation results, according to the
equation p B
2
=2m
0
and referring to Ref. [5], a digitized
magnetic eld dynamic testing systemwas built. The dimen-
sions and distribution of the magnetic induction intensity
B were measured through a series of spot induction coils,
and then the magnetic pressure p was obtained: in general,
the test results accord well with the simulation results.
4. Conclusions
Through the numerical simulation of electromagnetic
bulging, the dimensions and distribution of the magnetic
pressure acting on the workpiece are obtained. The end of
the workpiece is subjected both to radially outwards expan-
sive force and axially downwards pressure, which is useful
to the workpiece bulging. During bulging, for the penetra-
tion of the magnetic eld, the whole workpiece is subjected
to the radially outwards expansive force, and is different
from common bulging technology, where only the inner
surface of the workpiece be subjected to external force. The
magnetic pressure weakens very quickly from the inside to
the outside in the direction of the workpiece thickness in
accordance with the principle of Kelvin effect.
References
[1] V. Belyy, S.M. Fertik, L.T. Khimenko, Electromagnetic Metal
Forming Handbook, Department of Materials Science and Engineer-
ing, Ohio State University, 1996.
[2] S.H. Lee, A finite element analysis of electromagnetic forming for
tube expansion, J. Eng. Mater. Technol. 116 (4) (1994) 250254.
[3] S.H. Lee et al., Estimation of magnetic pressure in tube expansion
by electromagnetic forming, J. Mater. Process. Technol. 57 (1996)
311315.
[4] L. Yinzhao, Calculation of Axisymmetric Solenoid Coil Magnetic
Field, China Measurement Press, 1991.
[5] H. Jansen, Some measurements of the expansion of a metallic cylinder
with electromagnetic pulses, IEEE Trans. Ind. Gen. Appl. IGA-4
(1968) 428440.
Fig. 6. The diagram of the radial expansive magnetic pressure acting on
the workpiece in the thickness direction.
228 L. Chunfeng et al. / Journal of Materials Processing Technology 123 (2002) 225228